Pectinolytic enzymes

[Newbie in CA]

I am thinking of creating a couple of different cordial style liqueurs from fruit and was planning on treating the fruit with pectinolytic enzymes as part of the process, but I can't seem to find any information anywhere on how to do this.

Has anyone out there used this type of enzyme before or anyone have the right knowledge on how to use this particular enzyme?

[stillwagon]

I was just discussing this with Jason at Specialty Enzymes. He reccomended the following: LiquiSEB RL, LiquiSEB APL, and ExtractSEB RLBE. He will send you a pdf on the use of each.

[Newbie in CA]

Fantastic.

There is very little information on this out there so I am grateful for any pointers.

[SpecialtyEnzymes]

Hey,

Sorry for the delayed uptake on this topic. Pectinolytic or pectinase enzymes are quite varied in their described jobs and what actual enzyme activities they have. This is usually due to the enzyme formulator/provider trying to modulate various activities and tailoring the enzyme cocktail to a specific fruit. Fruits vary in quality, ripeness, and from year to year, so (most) enzyme providers do what they can to compensate and keep their product competitive. But enough of the generalities, the nitty gritty comes next.

Pectinase enzymes fall into three general categories of enzymes. Pectin methylesterase, Poly Galacturonase, and Pectin Lyase. Each has subdivisions beyond that, but who cares. It will be important to take note of these differences, as it will distinguish one product from another. Further details about what that all means can be found below, it will take too long to describe here.

http://www.wynboer.co.za/recentarticles/0411enzymes.php3

Just keep in mind that most "pectinase" enzymes are blends, and that means that they can most likely be used for multiple kinds of fruits, despite what someone might tell you.

I have found the beginning of the artisan distilling book to be quite helpful with fruit mashing techniques and expectations.

http://www.artisandistilling.org/ARTISANDISTILLING1.0.0.pdf

Cheers!

[Newbie in CA]

Nice. This is great info.

[PatrikD]

Any feedback on which pectinase enzymes might be more (or less) active in 30% alcohol?

I have a Buddha's hand limoncello with big ugly clouds of pectin floating in it. Unlike most other citrus fruit, the pith in Buddha's hand isn't bitter, so I found several recommendations to just chunk up the whole fruit and let it macerate, rather than microplaning off the zest as you would do with lemons. Considering that commercial pectin is actually made from citrus peel, this may not have been the best decision...

I noticed that Specialty Enzymes has a CitriSEB range specifically for citrus fruit processing. Which of those do you think might be most ethanol tolerant? For a liqueur, adding pectinase to the fruit before macerating with alcohol is not always an option...

Thanks!

[SpecialtyEnzymes]

Hello PatrikD,

While I hesitate to toot our enzymes publically, the CitriSEB enzyme line is designed specifically for citrus fruits, and would be able to help out in this case, especially if you want to breakup the floaties or settle them out.

We can discuss particulars via forum mailer.

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With regards to pectinase enzyme activity in high alcohol solutions, it is always good to remember that though enzymes are not technically "alive", they are however biological in nature. Meaning that they do have limitations when it comes to pH, temperature, storage, etc.

So throwing enzymes into your 30% abv solution might produce some benefits, but I wouldn't hold out hopes, because that is a highly toxic environment. At best the enzymes would be able to work for a short period of time before denaturation. I hope you plan to rack off the liqueur, because the enzymes are proteins, which means you might have gotten rid of the pectin problem, just to introduce a protein haze/settling instead...

Bottom line: enzymes are sensitive, and need mild(er) operating conditions than 30% abv to be effective. Though you might derive some benefit from using the enzymes at this stage, it would be far reduced compared to using them on fruit, fruit juice, or pulp.

Cheers!

SpecZyme